50.053
50.053
Informal conference. The department may hold an informal conference with the parties to any contested action under this subchapter to resolve any or all issues prior to formal hearing. Unless any party to the contested case objects, the department may delay the commencement of the formal hearing in order to hold the informal conference.
50.053 History
History: 1977 c. 170.
50.06
50.06
Certain admissions to facilities. 50.06(1)
(1) In this section, "incapacitated" means unable to receive and evaluate information effectively or to communicate decisions to such an extent that the individual lacks the capacity to manage his or her health care decisions, including decisions about his or her post-hospital care.
50.06(2)
(2) An individual under
sub. (3) may consent to admission, directly from a hospital to a facility, of an incapacitated individual who does not have a valid power of attorney for health care and who has not been adjudicated incompetent under
ch. 880, if all of the following apply:
50.06(2)(a)
(a) No person who is listed under
sub. (3) in the same order of priority as, or higher in priority than, the individual who is consenting to the proposed admission disagrees with the proposed admission.
50.06(2)(am)1.1. Except as provided in
subd. 2., no person who is listed under
sub. (3) and who resides with the incapacitated individual disagrees with the proposed admission.
50.06(2)(am)2.
2. Subdivision 1. does not apply if any of the following applies:
50.06(2)(am)2.a.
a. The individual who is consenting to the proposed admission resides with the incapacitated individual.
50.06(2)(am)2.b.
b. The individual who is consenting to the proposed admission is the spouse of the incapacitated person.
50.06(2)(b)
(b) The individual for whom admission is sought is not diagnosed as developmentally disabled or as having a mental illness at the time of the proposed admission.
50.06(2)(c)
(c) A petition for guardianship for the individual under
s. 880.07 and a petition for protective placement of the individual under
s. 55.06 (2) are filed prior to the proposed admission.
50.06(3)
(3) The following individuals, in the following order of priority, may consent to an admission under
sub. (2):
50.06(3)(a)
(a) The spouse of the incapacitated individual.
50.06(3)(b)
(b) An adult son or daughter of the incapacitated individual.
50.06(3)(c)
(c) A parent of the incapacitated individual.
50.06(3)(d)
(d) An adult brother or sister of the incapacitated individual.
50.06(3)(e)
(e) A grandparent of the incapacitated individual.
50.06(3)(f)
(f) An adult grandchild of the incapacitated individual.
50.06(3)(g)
(g) An adult close friend of the incapacitated individual.
50.06(4)
(4) A determination that an individual is incapacitated for purposes of
sub. (2) shall be made by 2 physicians, as defined in
s. 448.01 (5), or by one physician and one licensed psychologist, as defined in
s. 455.01 (4), who personally examine the individual and sign a statement specifying that the individual is incapacitated. Mere old age, eccentricity or physical disability, either singly or together, are insufficient to make a finding that an individual is incapacitated. Neither of the individuals who make a finding that an individual is incapacitated may be a relative, as defined in
s. 242.01 (11), of the individual or have knowledge that he or she is entitled to or has a claim on any portion of the individual's estate. A copy of the statement shall be included in the individual's records in the facility to which he or she is admitted.
50.06(5)(a)(a) Except as provided in
par. (b), an individual who consents to an admission under this section may, for the incapacitated individual, make health care decisions to the same extent as a guardian of the person may and authorize expenditures related to health care to the same extent as a guardian of the estate may, until the earliest of the following:
50.06(5)(a)1.
1. Sixty days after the admission to the facility of the incapacitated individual.
50.06(5)(a)2.
2. Discharge of the incapacitated individual from the facility.
50.06(5)(a)3.
3. Appointment of a guardian for the incapacitated individual.
50.06(5)(b)
(b) An individual who consents to an admission under this section may not authorize expenditures related to health care if the incapacitated individual has an agent under a durable power of attorney, as defined in
s. 243.07 (1) (a), who may authorize expenditures related to health care.
50.06(6)
(6) If the incapacitated individual is in the facility after 60 days after admission and a guardian has not been appointed, the authority of the person who consented to the admission to make decisions and, if
sub. (5) (a) applies, to authorize expenditures is extended for 30 days for the purpose of allowing the facility to initiate discharge planning for the incapacitated individual.
50.06(7)
(7) An individual who consents to an admission under this section may request that an assessment be conducted for the incapacitated individual under the long-term support community options program under
s. 46.27 (6).
50.06 History
History: 1993 a. 187.
50.07
50.07
Prohibited acts. 50.07(1)(a)
(a) Intentionally fail to correct or interfere with the correction of a class "A" or class "B" violation within the time specified on the notice of violation or approved plan of correction under
s. 50.04 as the maximum period given for correction, unless an extension is granted and the corrections are made before expiration of extension.
50.07(1)(b)
(b) Intentionally prevent, interfere with, or attempt to impede in any way the work of any duly authorized representative of the department in the investigation and enforcement of any provision of this subchapter.
50.07(1)(c)
(c) Intentionally prevent or attempt to prevent any such representative from examining any relevant books or records in the conduct of official duties under this subchapter.
50.07(1)(d)
(d) Intentionally prevent or interfere with any such representative in the preserving of evidence of any violation of any of the provisions of this subchapter or the rules promulgated under this subchapter.
50.07(1)(e)
(e) Intentionally retaliate or discriminate against any resident or employe for contacting or providing information to any state official, or for initiating, participating in, or testifying in an action for any remedy authorized under this subchapter.
50.07(1)(f)
(f) Intentionally destroy, change or otherwise modify an inspector's original report.
50.07(2)
(2) Violators of this section may be imprisoned up to 6 months or fined not more than $1,000 or both for each violation.
50.07 History
History: 1977 c. 170.
50.09
50.09
Rights of residents in certain facilities. 50.09(1)
(1)
Residents' rights. Every resident in a nursing home or community-based residential facility shall, except as provided in
sub. (5), have the right to:
50.09(1)(a)
(a) Private and unrestricted communications with the resident's family, physician, attorney and any other person, unless medically contraindicated as documented by the resident's physician in the resident's medical record, except that communications with public officials or with the resident's attorney shall not be restricted in any event. The right to private and unrestricted communications shall include, but is not limited to, the right to:
50.09(1)(a)1.
1. Receive, send and mail sealed, unopened correspondence, and no resident's incoming or outgoing correspondence shall be opened, delayed, held or censored.
50.09(1)(a)2.
2. Reasonable access to a telephone for private communications.
50.09(1)(b)
(b) Present grievances on the resident's own behalf or others to the facility's staff or administrator, to public officials or to any other person without justifiable fear of reprisal, and to join with other residents or individuals within or outside of the facility to work for improvements in resident care.
50.09(1)(c)
(c) Manage the resident's own financial affairs, including any personal allowances under federal or state programs, unless the resident delegates, in writing, such responsibility to the facility and the facility accepts the responsibility or unless the resident delegates to someone else of the resident's choosing and that person accepts the responsibility. The resident shall receive, upon written request by the resident or guardian, a written monthly account of any financial transactions made by the facility under such a delegation of responsibility.
50.09(1)(d)
(d) Be fully informed, in writing, prior to or at the time of admission of all services included in the per diem rate, other services available, the charges for such services, and be informed, in writing, during the resident's stay of any changes in services available or in charges for services.
50.09(1)(e)
(e) Be treated with courtesy, respect and full recognition of the resident's dignity and individuality, by all employes of the facility and licensed, certified or registered providers of health care and pharmacists with whom the resident comes in contact.
50.09(1)(f)
(f) Physical and emotional privacy in treatment, living arrangements and in caring for personal needs, including, but not limited to:
50.09(1)(f)1.
1. Privacy for visits by spouse. If both spouses are residents of the same facility, they shall be permitted to share a room unless medically contraindicated as documented by the resident's physician in the resident's medical record.
50.09(1)(f)2.
2. Privacy concerning health care. Case discussion, consultation, examination and treatment are confidential and shall be conducted discreetly. Persons not directly involved in the resident's care shall require the resident's permission to authorize their presence.
50.09(1)(f)3.
3. Confidentiality of health and personal records, and the right to approve or refuse their release to any individual outside the facility, except in the case of the resident's transfer to another facility or as required by law or 3rd-party payment contracts and except as provided in
s. 146.82 (2) and
(3).
50.09(1)(g)
(g) Not to be required to perform services for the facility that are not included for therapeutic purposes in the resident's plan of care.
50.09(1)(h)
(h) Meet with, and participate in activities of social, religious and community groups at the resident's discretion, unless medically contraindicated as documented by the resident's physician in the resident's medical record.
50.09(1)(i)
(i) Retain and use personal clothing and effects and to retain, as space permits, other personal possessions in a reasonably secure manner.
50.09(1)(j)
(j) Be transferred or discharged, and be given reasonable advance notice of any planned transfer or discharge, and an explanation of the need for and alternatives to the transfer or discharge. The facility to which the resident is to be transferred must have accepted the resident for transfer, except in a medical emergency or if the transfer or discharge is for nonpayment of charges following a reasonable opportunity to pay a deficiency. No person may be involuntarily discharged for nonpayment under this paragraph if the person meets all of the following conditions:
50.09(1)(j)1.
1. He or she is in need of ongoing care and treatment and has not been accepted for ongoing care and treatment by another facility or through community support services.
50.09(1)(j)2.
2. The funding of his or her care in the nursing home or community-based residential facility under
s. 49.45 (6m) is reduced or terminated because of one of the following:
50.09(1)(j)2.a.
a. He or she requires a level or type of care which is not provided by the nursing home or community-based residential facility.
50.09(1)(k)
(k) Be free from mental and physical abuse, and be free from chemical and physical restraints except as authorized in writing by a physician for a specified and limited period of time and documented in the resident's medical record. Physical restraints may be used in an emergency when necessary to protect the resident from injury to himself or herself or others or to property. However, authorization for continuing use of the physical restraints shall be secured from a physician within 12 hours. Any use of physical restraints shall be noted in the resident's medical records. "Physical restraints" includes, but is not limited to, any article, device or garment which interferes with the free movement of the resident and which the resident is unable to remove easily, and confinement in a locked room.
50.09(1)(L)
(L) Receive adequate and appropriate care within the capacity of the facility.
50.09(1)(m)
(m) Use the licensed, certified or registered provider of health care and pharmacist of the resident's choice.
50.09(1)(n)
(n) Be fully informed of the resident's treatment and care and participate in the planning of the resident's treatment and care.
50.09(2)
(2) The department, in establishing standards for nursing homes and community-based residential facilities may establish, by rule, rights in addition to those specified in
sub. (1) for residents in such facilities.
50.09(3)
(3) If the resident is adjudged to be incompetent under
ch. 51 or
880 and not restored to legal capacity, the rights and responsibilities established under this section which the resident is not competent to exercise shall devolve upon the resident's guardian.
50.09(4)
(4) Each facility shall make available a copy of the rights and responsibilities established under this section and the facility's rules to each resident and to each resident's guardian at or prior to the time of admission to the facility, to each person who is a resident of the facility on December 12, 1975 and to each member of the facility's staff. The rights, responsibilities and rules shall be posted in a prominent place in each facility. Each facility shall prepare a written plan and provide appropriate staff training to implement each resident's rights established under this section.
50.09(5)
(5) Rights established under this section shall not, except as determined by the department of corrections, be applicable to residents in such facilities, if the resident is in the legal custody of the department of corrections and is a correctional client in such a facility.
50.09(6)(a)(a) Each facility shall establish a system of reviewing complaints and allegations of violations of residents' rights established under this section. The facility shall designate a specific individual who, for the purposes of effectuating this section, shall report to the administrator.
50.09(6)(b)
(b) Allegations of violations of such rights by persons licensed, certified or registered under
chs. 441,
446 to
450,
455 and
456 shall be promptly reported by the facility to the appropriate licensing or examining board and to the person against whom the allegation has been made. Any employe of the facility and any person licensed, certified or registered under
chs. 441,
446 to
450,
455 and
456 may also report such allegations to the board. Such board may make further investigation and take such disciplinary action, within the board's statutory authority, as the case requires.
50.09(6)(c)
(c) No person who files a report as required in
par. (b) or who participates, in good faith, in the review system established under
par. (a) shall be liable for civil damages for such acts.
50.09(6)(d)
(d) The facility shall attach a statement, which summarizes complaints or allegations of violations of rights established under this section, to an application for a new license or a renewal of its license. Such statement shall contain the date of the complaint or allegation, the name of the persons involved, the disposition of the matter and the date of disposition. The department shall consider such statement in reviewing the application.
50.09 Annotation
A resident's right be treated with respect under sub. (1) (e) is not waived by misbehavior. Hacker v. DHSS, 189 W (2d) 328, 525 NW (2d) 364 (Ct. App. 1994).
50.095
50.095
Resident's right to know. Every resident in or prospective resident of a nursing home has the right to know certain information from the nursing home which would aid an individual in assessing the quality of care provided by a nursing home.
50.095 History
History: 1987 a. 27,
127.
50.096
50.096
Nursing home reports. 50.096(1)
(1) Beginning in 1988, the department may request from a nursing home information necessary for preparation of a report under
sub. (2), and the nursing home, if so requested, shall provide the information.
50.096(2)
(2) By July 1, 1988, and annually thereafter, the department shall provide each nursing home with a report that includes the following information for the nursing home:
50.096(2)(a)
(a) The direct care nursing home staffing ratio at each skill level on a daily basis and the percentage, if any, by which the ratio is above the staffing requirements of the department for the previous year.
50.096(2)(b)
(b) The staff replacement rates for full-time and part-time nursing staff, nurse's assistants and administrators for the previous year.
50.096(2)(c)
(c) Violations of statutes or rules by the nursing home during the previous year.
50.096(3)
(3) Upon receipt of a report under
sub. (2), the nursing home shall make the report available to any person requesting the report.
50.096 History
History: 1987 a. 127.
